Rib attachment for metal lath



June 8, 1937. I W. G. HURLBERT, JR 2,083,300

RIB ATTACHMENT FOR METAL LATH Filed Aug. 17, 1936 ATENT OFFICE BIB ATTACHMENT FOR METAL LATH William G. Hurlbert, Jia, Niles, Ohio, assignor to The Bostwick Steel Lath Company, Niles, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 17, 1936, Serial No. 96,489

2 Claims. (Cl. 72-117) This invention relates to an improved attachrangement of paits hereinafter more fully dement for increasing the stiffness of metal lath scribe illustrated and claimed- .during handling or installation and which also A preferred and practical embodiment is shown serves as ultimate reinforcement when, the lath in the accompanying drawing in wh1ch:-- isembedded in the finished wall, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of llb 5 It is acknowledged that various types of lath attachment constructed in accordance with the for forming a permanent plaster base have been present inventionformed with integral upstanding ribs, and also F g. 2 is a p w Of a Portion of One type thatheretofore it has been proposed to place f a heVing t e present rib applied theretoosepfarate reinforcing ribs on previously formed Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on lath. However, in the latter case, the separate e line of ribs are usually intended for use with a particu- 4 is a d ta cross-sectional v w taken on lar type of lath and are also open to the objecthe line of 2.

tion'that the method of attachment is more or 5 is a P1911 w Of enethel p (if lath lg'qless tedious in the respect that the rib must be having the P t attachment pp theTet-O- clinched to the lath at various places by manual 6 is a detail cross-Sectional View taken on labor if the attachment is made on the job, or, the line of Fig.

on the other hand the connection must be efs- 7 is a diagrammatic p p v v on a fectedby special machin t t shop. reduced scale illustrating the application of the Accordingly, a primary bj t of th invention invention to the type of lath shown in Fig. 5. 20

is to remedy the obje ti above referred to Similar reference characters designate correand provide an attachment which is of more or Spending Parts throughout Several figures 0f the less universal application, both with respect to drawing. the type of lath and th point of application As will be observed from Fig. l the present atthereto without special apparatus at the factory taehment is designated generally as A, and inor 'the place of installation. cludes a transversely arched body having the Another and more specific object of the inven- Wings and 2 a d W ose lower edges 3 are protionis to provide an attachment in the form of Vided at Suitable Spaced locations with lath a rib which may b fitted t various types of lath, gaging members 4. These members are prefer- 33 such, for example, as the slitted sheet type or the ably arranged in Opposite Pairs and project down- 3 expanded diamond mesh type, after manufacture, Wardly from the bottom edges 3 of each of the by the simple act of applying the same to the Wings 50 that When the attachment is pp lath surface and driving the same with a hammer to the lath the bottom edges 3 engage one Side or maul in the direction of its length so that of the lath While the members 4 Project through 35 offset engaging members will become simulta- Openings formedin thelath- Although the 35 neously and firmly wedged over t strips or bers 4 are shown as arranged in opposite pairs, strands which lie between or form the openings. nevertheless: it is Within the Scope of the inven- A further bj t of th invention is to tion, if desired, to make them in staggered relavide a strong and yet comparatively light-weight non the battom edges of opposilie wmgs" rib which enables the relatively inexpensive plain it W111 be understood that the rlb constltutmg 40 type of lath to be converted into the rib type at the 100?? of the attachment y be depfjh such slightly additional cost that, in competition to the type of lath Wlth Whlch the mo with lath having preformed ribs, the price fa- 1S mtendeg to be l b 4 f 1 vors the plain lath equipped with the present in- The lat engggmg are me y vention. Moreover the ribs can be of any deof hook formatlon and me ude an arm POT Ion 4 4a offset from the lower edge 3 of the rib and Sued depth and m be close together or the forwardly extending arm 4?) which lies subfar i i accmfdmg to f Wldut of the Span stantially parallel with the edge 3 from which it is thereby lmpartmg any deslred .Stlfiness to oifset to provide the space or bight 5. The edge fabricated metal lath of any type for meeting a of the arm 4 nearest the edge 3 f the rib may W d range Of Specificationsbe inclined as indicated at 40 to produce a With the above and other objects in view which wedging effect between the arms 4b and the edge will more readily appear as the nature of the 3 of the rib. invention is understood, the invention consists In practice the rib attachment A with the in the novel construction, combination, and arhook type of lath attaching members 4, may be 55 adjacent the openings.

rib becomes firmly interlocked with the body of lathandholding it in position.

laid upon the type of lath L shown in Fig. 2, so that the elements 4. register with openings 01 therein as will be apparent from the dotted line .position of the rib shown in Fig. 3. When thus positioned the rib may be struck on one end with a hammer or maul thereby driving the entire rib counter to the direction of the arms 4b and openings 5 of the members 4 to straddle and wedgingly engage the portions b of the lath When thus applied the the lath and the latter is ready for use. If desired, any one of the arms 4'may be struck'with a hammer so as to be deformed upwardly and thus clinch or lock the entire rib, inv position on the "lath. However, it is to be understood that this is simply an alternative possibility because the intended arrangement and construction is such that the rib may be applied and attached to the lath by force applied to one end of the rib to cause the latterto move parallel with the general plane of the body of the lath, thus greatly simplifying the method of attachment.

Referring'to Fig. '5 which 'shows' the diamond mesh or expanded t peof lath L, it will be apparent that the present attachment-may be applied in the same manner as in the case of the lath L. From Fig. 6 itwill be observed that the hqokel'ernents l straddle the connecting points of the strands s of the lath to unite the rib to the V Fig. 715 intended, diagrammatically to indicate, on a reduced scale, a section of expanded metal lath with the rib applied thereto sothat it will be clearly understood that the rib attachment A may beof any length desired. The rib is preferably made in length corresponding to the overall length of the lath so as to'constitute complete reinforcement throughout. Also, it will'be; I understood that a plurality of ribsijmay beattached to the lath in parallel relation where the nature of the installation requires additional reinforcement. I

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the distinctive feature of the present invention resides in the-provision of a rib whichmay be attached to any previously manufactured lath, regardless of its particular type thereby to provide lath manufactured without ribs with any selected. number of ribs according to immediate specifications. Moreover, a distinctive feature resides in the provision of a rib which may be attached by force applied to one end of the rib which will drive it in the direction of its length to effect attachment.-

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention may be readily understood and also that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. q

I claim:

,,1. An attachable and detachable stifiening rib for expanded metal lath, said rib'including a wall of sheet metal to be seated at one edge against one face of the metal lath and to have a substantially perpendicular relationship to the lath when applied thereto, hook members formed as integral "portions of said wall, said hook members extending from said edge of said wall at spaced intervals therealong and being disposed in the plane of said wall, each hook member including a portion spaced from said edgeof said wall and mentioned portion of each hook member cooperatshaped slot diminishing in depth from its open end, said rib thus being adapted to beseated at its said edge against a face of a sheet of expanded metal lath with its .hook formations extending through voids in thelath and with the open ends of its slots alined with web portions of thelath and to be then driven longitudinally relative to the lath to effect its-firm attachmentthereto by the wedging cooperation with said webs of the edges defining said slots.

2. An attachable and detachable stiffening rib for expanded metal lath, said rib being of arched cross section and including a pair of spaced apart side walls each having hook members and slots as set forth in claim 1.

WILLIAM G. HURLBERT, JR. 

